Wireless communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9747248-B2
Application number	US-201113303021-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2011
Priority date	Jun 20, 2006
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A processing system is described that includes a wireless communication interface that wirelessly communicates with one or more wireless client devices in the vicinity of an establishment. The wireless communication interface receives a remote order corresponding to an item selected by at least one of the wireless client devices. A local server computer located in proximity to the establishment generates instructions for processing the remote order received from the wireless communication interface. The local server computer then passes the processing instructions to an order processing queue in preparation for processing of the remote order.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of ordering an item from an establishment using a wireless client device in the vicinity of the establishment, comprising:
receiving a signal with an identifier from a wireless network at the wireless client device;
comparing, at the wireless client device, a signal strength of the received signal with identifier from the wireless network to a threshold value;
comparing, at the wireless client device, the received identifier to a list of identifiers to find a match when the signal strength exceeds the threshold value; and
presenting, at the wireless client device, on a display screen of the wireless client device, if a match is found, an item ordering user interface;
receiving, at the wireless client device, a user selection of a particular item of a plurality of items available for ordering via the item ordering user interface, the selection being made via the item ordering user interface;
forming, at the wireless client device, a remote order request for the particular item in response to the user selection; and
accessing order history data for the user of the wireless client device,
wherein at least one of the plurality of items available for ordering via the item ordering user interface is a previously purchased item,
wherein the user selection is the previously purchased item, and
wherein the remote order request includes data from the order history data.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the notification includes at least an estimated amount of time until the particular item denoted by the remote order is available at the establishment.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the notification includes at least an estimated amount of time until the particular item denoted by the remote order is available for pick up at the establishment.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the notification indicates at least that the particular item denoted by the remote order is available at the establishment.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the wireless client device is a wireless client device selected from a group comprising: a wireless media player, a wireless personal digital assistant, or a cell phone.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 ,
wherein the method further comprises:
storing order history data for the user on the wireless client device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
wherein the presenting operates to present the item ordering user interface on the display screen of the wireless client device when the signal is above the threshold and the identifier is found in the list of identifiers.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
storing data on authorized establishments on the wireless client device.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
storing distinct user data on the wireless client device in association with each of a plurality of the authorized establishments.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
paying for the particular item via a user account of the user.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, from the computing device associated with the establishment, information regarding at least one available item.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, from the computing device associated with the establishment, information regarding advertisements unrelated to the establishment.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the receiving and the sending are performed when the wireless client device is external but proximate to the establishment.

14. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising wirelessly sending the remote order request to a computing device associated with the establishment.

15. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
wirelessly receiving, at the wireless client device, a notification from the computing device associated with the establishment; and
presenting the notification on the display screen of the wireless client device.

16. A method of ordering an item from an establishment using a wireless client device in the vicinity of the establishment, comprising:
receiving a signal with an merchantID from a wireless network at the wireless client device;
comparing, at the wireless client device, a signal strength of the received signal with merchantID from the wireless network to a threshold value;
ignoring, at the wireless client device, the signal when the signal strength does not exceed the threshold value, and
comparing, at the wireless client device, the received merchantID to a list of merchantIDs to find a match, when the signal strength exceeds the threshold value;
ignoring, at the wireless client device, the received signal if a match is not found;
accessing order preference data associated with the user of the wireless client device; and
presenting, on a display screen of the wireless client device, an item ordering user interface associated with the merchantID;
receiving, at the wireless client device, a user selection of a particular item of a plurality of items available for ordering via the item ordering user interface, the selection being made via the item ordering user interface; and
forming, at the wireless client device, a remote order request for the particular item in response to the user selection, the remote order request being based on or including data from the order preference data.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises:
storing order preference data for the user on the wireless client device.

18. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, at the wireless client device, an acknowledgement of the remote order request from the computing device associated with the identifier.

19. The method as recited in claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises:
storing distinct order preference data on the wireless client device for each of a plurality of establishments, and
wherein the accessing of the order preference data associated with the user of the wireless client device comprises accessing the order preference data pertaining to the establishment that has been recognized.

20. The method as recited in claim 16 , further comprising wirelessly sending the remote order request to a computing device associated with the establishment.

21. The method as recited in claim 16 , further comprising:
wirelessly receiving, at the wireless client device, a notification from the computing device associated with the establishment; and
presenting the notification on the display screen of the wireless client device.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium including at least instructions that when executed by a wireless client device provides for ordering an item from an establishment, comprising:
instructions for receiving a signal with an identifier from a wireless network at the wireless client device;
instructions for comparing, at the wireless client device, a signal strength of the received signal with identifier from the wireless network to a threshold value;
instructions for comparing, at the wireless client device, the received identifier to a list of identifier to find a match when the signal strength exceeds the threshold value;
instructions for presentin

Assignees

• Fadell Anthony M
• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Fadell Anthony M

Classifications

• H04L67/04

  specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability · CPC title

• G06Q30/0603

  Catalogue creation or management · CPC title

• G06F15/025 Primary

  adapted to a specific application · CPC title

• H04L67/306

  User profiles · CPC title

• G06Q30/0601 Primary

  Electronic shopping [e-shopping] · CPC title